The Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to square off in the 2024 NBA Cup Finals.
The stars will be present and looking to shine bright during the second annual NBA Cup Championship between two of the hottest teams in the league. The Bucks are led by the more talented and decorated player with Giannis Antetokounmpo but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be looking to build on what has been another strong start to the season. And there may not be a better way for SGA to send an early-season message than in the NBA Cup Finals.
The Bucks have an 8-2 record against the Thunder in their last 10 games but the Thunder were able to pull out a victory the last time these teams played. Neither Antetokounmpo nor Damian Lillard played in that game and the result could be much different this time around.
Keys for the Thunder: Protect the ball and defend the 3
One advantage that the Thunder has is their ability to protect the basketball. The Thunder lead the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio and also have the capabilities to deploy multiple ball handlers on the floor at the same time without sacrificing on the defensive end.
The team is also first in turnover percentage and will have to keep the ball safe in order to keep Antetokounmpo's transition opportunities to a minimum as he ranks second in the league with 6.9 possessions per game on the fast break and he also leads the league in fast break points per game with 8.5.
The Thunder is a team that makes the most out of their free throw opportunities. They have shot the 2nd least amount of free throw attempts but lead the NBA in free throw percentage. If the Thunder can find ways to get to the foul line, it could play a major factor in the outcome due to the team's efficiency at the charity stripe. It's also going to be interesting to see how the perimeter defenders will defend the Bucks shooters.
Cason Wallace, Jaylen Williams, and Lugentz Dort will have their hands full due to the Bucks owning the 3rd best 3-point percentage in the league. The main player they have to slow down is Lillard, who is capable of single-handedly destroying a team from behind the arc if he catches fire.
Keys for the Bucks: Giannis has to impose his will and pressure the Thunder defenders
Trying to slow down Antetokounmpo has been an arduous task for every single team in the NBA. No matter what strategy coaches attempt to deploy, many have struggled to contain his offensive excellence, size, and length. Teams have tried to form human walls, have doubled-teamed him, and have even dared him to beat them with his jump shot but nothing has worked and there is no proven way to slow him him down. Double-team him and he just kicks it out to a teammate for a wide-open three.
Antetokounmpo has absolutely torched the Thunder over the last 10 games he has faced them as he averaged 28.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists against them. But the best defense in the NBA should be up to the challenge despite being undersized. The Bucks have 2 7-footers in their starting lineup with Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, and it could become difficult for the Thunder to secure defensive rebounds. Not to mention the Thunder also have to deal with the tenacity and physicality Bobby Portis brings off the bench when he enters the game.
Jalen Williams may be the best option and better suited to guard Antetokounmpo as he has filled in quite admirably defensively for Chet Holmgren. The Thunder have one healthy player over 6'6 which is 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein, and the rebounding margin could heavily favor the Bucks. Antetokounmpo will have a definite advantage inside the paint if he can get deep into the lane, and could put up monster numbers even against the best defense in the NBA.